Mel B’s estranged husband Stephen Belafonte files divorce papers demanding slice of the singer’s cash and joint custody of their daughter in bitter divorce row
STEPHEN Belafonte filed his response to Mel B’s divorce petition last night – asking for spousal support from his wife.
In addition to requesting a cut of the singer's cash, the movie producer's court papers also asked that she be made to pay his lawyer's fees.
Belafonte's declaration, filed in LA, puts the date of their split as March 1 this year, while Mel, reportedly worth £40million, claimed they broke up on December 28, 2016.
The couple's separation date needs to be established in order to divide up their mutual property, which they both accept is on the line - suggesting a prenup was not taken out when they married in 2007.
Mel, 41, has demanded sole custody of their five-year-old daughter Madison, after initially saying she’d be prepared to share custody. But in his claim Belafonte insists on shared parental duties.
Mel's decision to begin divorce proceedings last month, just 11 weeks before their ten year anniversary, could save the former Spice Girl millions.
Under Californian law, she could have been forced to support Belafonte, 41, indefinitely had their marriage spanned a decade.
But now it's likely the court will set the duration of support at half the marriage’s length.
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This week she applied for a restraining order and filed court papers claiming Belafonte abused her during their ten years of marriage and had a fling with the couple's ex-nanny, Lorraine Giles, who allegedly fell pregnant with his child.
Writing in the documents, Mel said her estranged husband then paid the 26-year-old £241,000 to have an abortion.
The filing of Belafonte's court papers came as married Lorraine came out of hiding for the first time since becoming embroiled in the toxic split.
The nanny's close friends have denied the claims, with one source saying: "I’ve never heard anything about that.
“I think that’s a pretty crazy thing to say. Obviously anyone in this situation would be devastated.
“Lorraine is very, very upset.
“She can’t comment on things which are not true but it is a very, very shocking and dramatic time for her.”